Reporting a Sexual Assault: Your Options

The following explains what options you have when you decide to report an incident of sexual assault, rape, dating or relationship violence, or stalking. Reporting doesn’t mean you have to press charges or give the name of the perpetrator. It means we can get you some help. If you don’t report, there’s no way we can help you deal with what happened.

The college will help you through any steps you decide to take, while doing it’s best to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

What do I do if I'm sexually assaulted?

Explain what happened to someone you feel comfortable talking to: your roommate, RA, Area Coordinator, Professor, Coach, Mentor, or a SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) member.
The person you talk to will listen to your story and give you support. S/he will make referrals to the Administrator on Call (AOC) or a SART member based on the time of day/night, and what you say you need and want to do.
If you want to go to the hospital for a “post-evidence collection kit,” or “rape-kit” an AOC will take you. You can bring a friend with you. If you feel you were raped or received a “date rape drug,” we encourage you to get a “rape kit,” because if you do decide to press charges with the police, the evidence collected at the hospital can be used to make your case.
SART members will ask you if they can fill out a reporting form. This form asks for information about the incident, like when and where it happened, etc. But listing your name, or the perpetrator’s name, is optional. This way, you, the victim, can receive help and assistance, but the perpetrator’s name can be left out of the process. If you do want to file a formal complaint (see below), then you can provide the name of the perpetrator.
The SART member will keep your name confidential if you desire. The reporting form, with or without your name and the perpetrator’s, becomes a statistic for the college. A copy of the report goes to Campus Safety, the Dean of Students and the Women’s Center for record keeping.
The next step will be meeting with a Dean of Students to review your options and discuss what action, if any, you want to take.

What happens when I meet with a Dean of Students?

S/he will go over your options, including filing an informal complaint, filing a formal complaint with the college, or pressing charges with the police, and make sure you understand how the process works.

What is the difference between an informal and formal complaint?

An informal complaint means that you report it but do not want the college to investigate the incident. However, you may want to arrange for some type of intervention by the college ranging from having the Dean meet with the perpetrator, having the Dean read a letter you wrote to the perpetrator, or a facilitated meeting between you and the perpetrator.
You may have other ideas of how we can work with you to help you feel more comfortable after the incident, like forbidding the perpetrator from having contact with you, changing your residence, or other ideas you may have.
A formal complaint means that you ask the college to investigate the incident. The college then will go through a process of meeting with witnesses or others who may have information. You will not have to meet with the perpetrator, or go through long hours of interrogation. The college will decide, based on the evidence, if the alleged perpetrator is guilty. If s/he is found guilty, disciplinary measures will be taken which vary depending on the severity of the incident.
The college works on cases as quickly and as confidentially as possible.

We will encourage you to get help and support for what you've gone through. You may opt to meet with a counselor at the Counseling Center, the Women’s Center, or talk with a Peer Counselor, to get help with the emotional issues that will arise. We can also refer you to off-campus therapists.

Do I have to report the event to the police?

No. Again, the recourse you take is up to you.
If you do decide to press charges with the police, there are Victim Advocates at YWCA/SACS (Sexual Assault Crisis Services) who can help you through this process, as well as Trinity’s Peer Counselors or other SART members. Their numbers are on the SART card.
If you had a “rape-kit” done, the evidence is held for 60 days, and can be used if you decide to press charges with the police.
You have 5 years under Connecticut law to report the crime.

If you have any other questions about reporting procedures, SART, or any related issue, please call Laura Lockwood at the Women & Gender Resource Action Center (x2408), or ask your RA, Coach, Mentor, Chaplain or another SART member that you feel comfortable with. We encourage you to report. We will not judge you, blame you, or report it if you were drinking and under 21. It’s just important that we get to talk to you, and get you some help.